Evaluation of the Resilient Families Service - Final Report (April 2020)

This is the final evaluation of the Resilient Families Service. The Resilient Families (RF) service is an evidence-based, intensive family preservation service delivered by The Benevolent Society (TBS). The service is designed to address concerns about the safety and wellbeing of children that, if unaddressed, are likely to result in their entry into statutory out-of-home care (OOHC).

The RF service was funded in 2013 for five years through the NSW Government’s Social Benefit Bond (SBB). A SBB is a financial instrument that pays a return based on the achievement of agreed social outcomes. Performance of the RF service in the TBS SBB was measured through the level of contact with the child protection system that Index Children experienced during the measurement period relative to matched Control Children. Specifically, the number of:

• entries into statutory OOHC
• child protection reports to the Helpline from police and health professionals
• Safety and Risk Assessments (SARAs) commenced2 by the Department of Communities
  and Justice (DCJ) (formerly the Department of Family and Community Services)
  In total, 354 families were referred to the RF service from the commencement of the program in October 2013 to the end of June 2018 (the SBB measurement period). Of these families, 303 were eligible in the SBB population for outcomes measurement.